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When to Enroll in Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plans

Important dates and information about when you can enroll

Knowing exactly when to enroll in a Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan can be complicated. Keep reading to find out when you can and cannot enroll.

Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans

If you recently became eligible for Medicare, you can apply for coverage in a Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan close to the beginning of your Medicare Part A or B coverage. This enrollment period is your Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP) or Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). If you are unsure when your Medicare Part A or B coverage begins, look at the lower right corner of your red, white and blue Medicare card.

Your Medicare Advantage or prescription drug coverage can't start before your Medicare Part A or B coverage begins. Generally, you have a 7-month period to apply for Medicare Advantage or prescription drug coverage. Check out Do I Qualify for Medicare? to learn when you can sign up for Medicare.

You can apply for a Medicare Advantage plan 3 months before, the month of, or 3 months after the month your Medicare Part A and B coverage begins. If your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage begin on different dates, use the later coverage date. However, if your Medicare Part B coverage begins after your Part A coverage, you only have the 3 months before your Part B start date to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. If you miss this 3-month enrollment period, you may qualify for a Special Election Period (SEP).

You can apply for a prescription drug plan 3 months before, the month of, or 3 months after the month your Medicare Part A and B coverage begins. If your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage begin on different dates, use the earlier coverage date. If you miss enrolling in a prescription drug plan (PDP) using your earlier coverage date, you may qualify for a Special Election Period (SEP).

If you’ve been eligible for Medicare for a while, your options are different depending on the time of the year. Those options include:

Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7)

The Annual Election Period (AEP) begins on October 15 and ends on December 7 each year. During AEP, you can enroll, disenroll or change your Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, prescription drug plan (PDP) or Medicare Supplement plan. You can also return to Original Medicare. Elections made during AEP are effective on January 1 of the following year.

Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (January 1 – February 14)

You can use this time period to leave a Medicare Advantage plan and return to your Original Medicare benefits offered by the federal government. You may also enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan if you return to Original Medicare. However, you cannot switch from 1 prescription drug plan to another prescription drug plan.

February 15 – October 14

February 15 through October 14 is the lock-in period. Between February 15 and October 14 you cannot change coverage, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). If you do not qualify for an SEP, you can elect new coverage during AEP for a January 1 effective date.

Special Enrollment Period (SEP)

During an SEP, you can enroll, disenroll or change your coverage because of your circumstances.

Humana is a Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO and PFFS organization and a stand-alone prescription drug plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any Humana plan depends on contract renewal.

This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums and/or member cost-share may change on January 1 of each year.

Y0040_GHHJ3W5EN_v3 Approved

Last Updated 10/01/2015

Humana Medicare

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